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50 not out for Dominic Day
When Dominic Day ran out onto Parc y Scarlets for the Scarlets’ Magners League match with Ulster a special cheer was reserved for the big second row from Pembroke because it was announced over the tannoy that it was indeed his 50th game in the famous Scarlet jersey.
This is no mean feat for any player but even more so for someone who is only 24 years old and plays in what Bill McLaren used to call the ‘Engine Room’ – that is the second row, where players are expected to mature later than the runners at the back because they play against some huge forwards. Dominic himself is no slouch in the size category since he weighs in at around 17 stone 4 lbs and is six feet six inches tall!
Dominic Day hails from Pembroke and it is good to report that although he is competing now at a very high level he is quick to praise the coaching he received as a youngster at Crickmarren as the basis for his success before he started out playing alongside Aussie No 8 David Lyons, Vernon Cooper, Lou Reed, Ritchie Pugh, Josh Turnbull and Dafydd Jones, to name but a few top players competing for places in the back five of the Scarlets’ scrummaging.
Match highlights and a speedy recovery
It was generally agreed that Dominic had a cracking match against Ulster with his ability to win quality line out ball but also to carry the ball well and tackle like a demon. Ask him about the game and he would say,
“I rate that win highly but the best so far was our victory over London Irish, who are one of the top English sides. We had been written off by the press before we even got to the Madejski Stadium but in front of a crowd of 11,947 we beat them 27-25. Beating French side Brive 24-12 in the Heineken Cup was another big moment and although we are quite a young side we are starting to do well.”
Perhaps even more pleasing for Dominic is the fact that he has recently had an operation to remove some spur bone in his ankle and has recovered over four weeks to force his way back into contention.
Coached by ‘Tosh’ at Crickmarren
It all seems a long time ago that Dominic first took up the game when he was was 15 or 16 and played youth rugby at Pembroke where he was coached by Clive ‘Tosh’ Rowlands and his brother Adrian, who both had experience in the second row and looked after him well when he started at No 8 but was soon switched to second row.
His brothers Stuart (back row) and Huw (winger) also played in Pembroke School and Neil Truman, his games teacher, recommended him for the Pembrokeshire ‘Elite’ squad and his rugby really took off from there. Dominic was a regular in the county under 18s and he was invited to join the Scarlets’ Academy when he was 18. All at Pembroke have been marvellous with their support from the outset and another former Pembroke player in Rob Appleyard was also a great help as a skills coach when he joined Llanelli.
Welsh Youth honours
His rousing play earned him selection for Welsh trials and then he went on to gain international honours:
“I actually played ten times and those games must rank as some of my real highlights so far,” said Dominic “because there is no feeling like pulling on a Welsh rugby shirt, no matter what the level. I made my debut against Italy at Ebbw Vale in the youth Six Nations tournament and we won that before also beating Scotland, Ireland and England to win the Triple Crown but lost to France to miss out on the championship.
“Then it was on to the World Championships in South Africa, undoubtedly the major highlight of my career so far, because it is an amazing country and there were some great games under coaches Gareth Nicholas and Dai Rees.
“We caused something of a stir when we beat Australia but lost to France and missed out on a semi-final place by a single point after England grabbed a late converted try in their final match. New Zealand eventually won the tournament and although I was, like all the other Welsh players, really shattered by going so close my Welsh Youth playing record of eight wins from ten starts is something to be proud of.
College days and further rugby moves
Dominic then studied for a Sports Science degree at UWIC in Cardiff and played for the college during his first season but then moved to Carmarthen Quins during his second year of college since it was a higher standard – and then to Llanelli during his final year at UWIC. It was then that he made his Scarlets’ debut, against Northampton in a pre-season friendly and started to learn the harsh reality of what the game was about as he came up against some experienced Northampton players.
“It was even worse,” he says with a chuckle, “when I played my first league match, against the Dragons at Stradi Park, when I was very nervous before the start and I was taken to the cleaners so much that I was pulled off at half time. I played about five matches that season as replacement and I quickly had to learn to have my mind fully focussed on the task in hand.
Other sports
Outside of his rugby, Dominic was also a useful athlete who competed in the discus: “I don’t know about useful but I did compete in the discuss event, perhaps because I was seen as a big lump who might be able to throw it a fair distance. Anyway, I learned a little technique to go with basic strength and to my surprise I won the school and county championships, then in the Dyfed Championships, and found myself representing Wales against the Three As in North Wales and came second – so I have a Welsh athletics’ vest to go with my Welsh Youth rugby jerseys!
“I also represented Pembroke County in swimming, and again perhaps that was because I was very tall and could reach out well in the pool!”
Mentally tougher now
Dominic admits that he started out last season not only physically stronger but mentally tougher and he was called in for his first game at Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup when someone dropped out through injury. He must have pleased the coaches because he has been involved ever since with Vernon Copper and Lou Reed alongside him in the second row.
“I have played against big sides like Harlequins, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Dragons, Ospreys and Blues. Another very special match was the final one at Stradi Park against Bristol, which I regarded as a great honour just to be named in the side – and a 27-0 win just about put the icing on the cake of a very moving celebration.”
Training tips
Dominic told us that training varies so much because it is no longer the case that they play only on a Saturday afternoon because games can be played at any time – their last match, against Ulster, was played at 7.05pm on a Friday evening, and the Scarlets often play on Friday evenings or even Sunday afternoons now.
“In a normal week we train on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with the chance to relax and perhaps have a game of golf in midweek. Training starts at 9am and we practice our basic skills, scrummaging and lineout work whilst the backs work in the gym.
“Then we swap and the forwards perform our weights programme. We train on the pitch sometimes and there is an emphasis on everyone knowing their job and doing it well under the eye of coach Nigel Davies. There’s often an iced bath to aid recovery and although that is OK in the spring I’m not sure I like it in the middle of winter!
“We also have to take care of what we eat because we have our body fats tested on a regular basis – it’s all done to being sensible and I often cook my own food to make sure I eat well.”
Looking forward
Ask Dominic about his ambitions and he says that he has really enjoyed playing for the Scarlets and at 24 years of age he is relatively young as a second row so he wants to stay injury free and keep his place in the Scarlets’ squad. It means raising his fitness levels even further so that it will help him avoid injury with the physical contact that the modern game involves.
“I want to cement my place even further and I would love to see us qualify for Europe next season and get back into being one of the top sides there. Beyond that I can look no further at the moment but I love my life as a rugby professional and know it is worth the effort. I enjoy playing alongside Johnny Davies and Dan Newton, both backs and from Whitland and hope that more players from Pembrokeshire-based clubs can make the break-through.”
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